Patriots Christian Gonzalez already instilling fear in Seahawks receivers

In the later years of Bill Belichick's tenure as the Patriots head coach and general manager, he became known for striking out more in the draft than hitting home runs, with most players selected either not making the team that following season or leaving the first time they hit free agency.

It was quite a change for the accomplished head coach, who had developed a reputation for masterfully manipulating the cap space and putting together some of the most underrated but successful rosters of the modern era. It led to the Patriots winning six Super Bowls in nine appearances, which teams have failed to replicate.

Regardless of how well his approach to the draft worked in the past, with any mistakes being masked by Tom Brady's skillset, it was no longer working for New England as the quarterback's career looked to be nearing its end. It got even worse for Belichick when Brady left for the Bucs in 2020.

Fortunately, a few of his picks over the last few years have hit the jackpot for the Patriots long-term, like linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley, safety Kyle Dugger and running back Rhamondre Stevenson. Some have been great for the team but have spent more years elsewhere than New England.

One prominent name to join this short list seems to be cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who Belichick selected with the Patriots first round pick in 2023. Despite the need for offensive line help, the top rated Oregon cornerback was still available after the Patriots traded down, making it impossible not to pick him.

He immediately impressed as a rookie despite only playing in 3.5 games before suffering a season-ending injury. And he is on a path to replicate what he started last year already, instilling fear in opposing receivers who will line up against him this season.

Christian Gonzalez's limited NFL experience is still impressive enough to worry opposing receivers

In preparation for Sunday's Week 2 matchup with the Seahawks, Patriots reporters have spoken with some Seattle players, including second-year receiver Jake Bobo.

While speaking with NESN.com, Bobo spoke about what it was like playing against Gonzalez in college and what stood out most about the cornerback's playstyle and how he had to try adapting to that while lining up against him in his days at UCLA.

"The first thing you see is just his physical tools. He's long, tall obviously, has great ball skills. When I matched up with him in person, he's smart and his football IQ is real, real high. So, I had to hide some splits. And you could just tell if I split outside the numbers he'd line up a certain way, if I was a little tighter he'd line up a certain way depending on his coverage and what they were running.

So, he's smart and then you combine that with his ability to play the ball and his physical attributes, that makes for a helluva corner right there."

Knowing what he and his teammates will be up against on Sunday afternoon, Bobo emphasized that Gonzalez has only gotten better since joining the NFL, and it won't be easy for the Seahawks' receiving corps to counteract that.

"You knew going in this guy's the real deal and we're going to have to find ways to work around him. I didn't watch the game on Sunday but I heard that it was a lot of the same."

Although Gonzalez will likely not be covering Bobo in this game, as he will likely be on D.K. Metcalf or Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the receiver's comments still hold weight and prove that despite his limited NFL experience, he's still becoming a top name for receivers around the league to worry about.

He has the potential to become an all-time great in New England, which makes him being Belichick's final first-round pick a possible legendary parting gift.

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